Burning Desire
by kora22
Summary: Wildfire is back and he wants revenge and a... Girlfriend?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ready for another _hot _story? I'm sure you're just _burning _to know what happens.**

* * *

**Chapter One: Alone**

He didn't know how, but he was healed. All he could remember was those miserable cubs breaking his legs and leaving him to die... The pain had been excrutiating and the injuries were severe enough to kill, but he had somehow survived.

Now, Wildfire was angry... He wanted revenge. While he harbored hate for Simba and his friends, he couldn't help but feel attracted to one of them, and it wasn't that annoying cub that he had held hostage. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

Wildfire had to admit, he was lonely. The only friend he ever had was Tishio, but he was dead. His body was most likely rotting away in that volcano, but Wildfire had put all that behind him. His focus now was eliminating Simba and his friends... Well, except for one, but she was going to be with him... Whether she wanted to be or not.

He knew that the rest would come to rescue her, so he had the chance to kill two birds with one stone, but this time, he wouldn't be waiting to fight them paw to paw. His powers were a bit more advanced now... He had a few tricks in mind to take care of them.

Wildfire had decided to take residence in the jungle. It was the only place he had to go. He looked up to the sky.

"If I go now," He said to himself, "I should be able to reach the Pridelands while they're all asleep. I'll be able to slip in undetected..." He wasn't all that concerned with being caught; he could just kill anyone that saw him. He just wanted to get in and out quickly to save the trouble.

* * *

"Wow," Simba said as he looked up at the purpling sky, "is it getting dark already? Today seemed to go fast..."

"Yeah,"" Tora said, "but at least we got through today without anyone trying to kill us... Or change our genders..." She shot a look at Chumvi.

"Hey," Chumvi said, "I said I was sorry! At least we're all back to normal."

"There was a bright side to it." Haiba said, examining his claws, "My claws look wonderful. Chumvi certainly knows how to give a good manicure."

"That's good to know." Tama said, looking at her boyfriend, "I know what you're doing tomorrow..."

Nala allowed a yawn to escape her throat, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired... I'm heading back."

"So am I." Simba added, "You all coming?"

"Ugh..." Angani said, "I suppose." She was tired, but wasn't exactly looking forward to sleeping.

The rest of the cubs agreed to call it a night. They all had a relaxing day, but that just seemed to make them more tired.

"Anyone interested in cuddling tonight?" Haiba asked, "I could use it."

"Just cuddle with yourself." Nala said, "I know I'm not interested."

"I already do." Haiba told her, "It gets a bit boring after a while..."

"It's almost completely dark." Simba said, "Let's get up there before we get in trouble. I think our parents are starting to trust us more again. I guess this whole staying out of trouble thing is working for us... I'm beginning to get used to it."

* * *

All of the Pridelanders had fallen asleep. The moon was at it's highest point, illuminating the Pridelands with it's glow. Wildfire was moving silently through the lands, being sure not to alert any animals to his presence. He needed to be quick with his mission. When he reached Pride Rock, he slowly climbed up. He wasn't completely sure if they were all asleep, so he had to be careful. He peered into the den and saw them all sleeping. This was going to be easier than he thought.

_Where is she? _He thought to himself as he looked around the den. He walked by Simba, but resisted the urge to kill him. The last thing he needed was the _entire _ pride waking up. That would be a problem. He continued looking until he found the cub he was looking for. Tora.

_Aha! There she is. _He thought. The only problem was that Mheetu had his paw wrapped around her. Wildfire gently moved Mheetu's paw off of her. He froze as Mheetu shifted in his sleep, but he didn't wake up. Wildfire let out a sigh of relief as he lifted Tora as gently as he could onto his back. She was a pretty sound sleeper. He carried her out of the den and got as far as the water hole when he heard her speak.

"W-what's happening...?" She asked as she yawned. She quickly realized that she was being carried... By a cub she didn't know. "Who are you?"

Wildfire dropped her to the ground. He spun around and grabbed her by the throat. Tora's eyes widened in fear when she saw who it was.

"Wildfire?" She said. She was about to yell for help, but he stopped her.

"You say one thing, and _I will _burn your throat out." He hissed at her. "You are coming with me. I'm not going to hurt you..."

"Why do I doubt that?" Tora asked, "You aren't exactly the least violent cub out there."

"Shut up!" He exclaimed. "You'll be fine... Now, to make sure you don't escape..."

_Thwack!_

Wildfire struck her as hard as he could with his paw. It knocked her out immediately. He lifted her back up and continued back to the jungle.

"Okay..." He said, "Maybe I lied about that... I wonder how long it will take her little friends to figure it all out? Oh well, if they do, they will have a few... _Deadly _surprises waiting for them... Ha Ha Ha!"

Wildfire was confident. His powers were improved and now, he had a girlfriend. Killing Simba and his stupid friends would make everything perfect... He would be able to move on from the area... To continue his path of destruction.

* * *

**A/N: Wildfire's back and badder than ever! Not to mention creepy... Kidnapping someone while they sleep? That's the second time that's happened to Tora...Well, I hope you liked the chapter. See you next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Let's see how Wildfire's little plan goes... Last time it wasn't so good for him...**

**snheetah: Being sneaky is one of his skills. I guess that is a more minor advantage of his...**

**Greg M 94: He does tend to be protective of her, which is odd because she is usually the one doing the protecting.**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Missing**

Mheetu slowly opened his eyes and let out a yawn. "Good morning, Tora." When he rolled over, he was surprised to see that she wasn't beside him. Tora was rarely up before him; she liked getting her sleep.

"Weird." He said as he stood up and streched, "She must be down at the water hole." He didn't see any of his other friends in the den, so that must be where she was at. He walked out of the den and down towards the water hole.

As Mheetu walked, he couldn't help feel like something was off... But he couldn't quite put a claw on it. He decided to ignore the feeling and keep walking. Everything was fine. He was just being dumb.

When he got to the water hole, he saw that all of his friends were, in fact, there... Except for Tora. She wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Have you guys seen Tora?" Mheetu asked as he padded over to the group.

"No." Nala answered, "We assumed she was with you, still sleeping."

"Nope." He replied, "She wasn't next to me when I woke up. I thought she would be down here with you guys. Where could she be?"

"Maybe she just went for a walk on her own." Simba suggested, "It's nice to have some time to yourself once in a while."

"I agree." Haiba chimed in, "I for one enjoy my alone time."

"I don't think so..." Mheetu told them, "Tora isn't the type to go on walks alone. Something strange is going on... I had a weird feeling on the way here that something was off today. Something's happened to her."

"Don't be silly." Simba said, "I'm sure she's fine."

"What if something _did _happen to her?" Kora asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Okay." Simba said, "We'll go look for her, but I'm sure she's just around the Pridelands... You'll feel silly for worrying."

* * *

"Owww..." Tora moaned in pain as she opened her eyes. She noticed that it was daylight out. Tora tried to move, but she had been tied up with some vines. She wasn't tied to a tree, sge had been left on the ground, her paws tied together. All she remebered that she had been taken by somebody... But her memory was a bit fuzzy. A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"Glad to see you're awake."

Tora looked up and came face to face with Wildfire. Now she remembered. Wildfire had kidnapped her and knocked her out.

"You!" She hissed, "Let me out of here, you hothead!"

Wildfire chuckled, "I don't think so. I can't have you running back to your friends, now can I?"

"So," Tora said, "You just did this for revenge? I thought we had taken care of you anyway..."

"So did I." He responded, "but something happened. I don't know what, but I was some how healed..."

"What was the point of you kidnapping me?" She asked, "Revenge?"

Wildfire looked down at her, "Partly... I actually planned on that later, but it'll be a bonus if it happens ealier. You're here for a different reason."

Tora gave him a confused look, "What would that be?"

"To be with me." Wildfire said, "I actually find you very attractive."

Tora felt a little uncomfortable, "Uh... Thanks?" She wasn't sure what to make of this. Wildfire didn't seem like a cub that was capable of anything other than hate. This was a weird situation.

"You're much better than that annoying pest I took last time..." Wildfire said, shuddering at the memory of Haiba kissing him. "That moron kissed me... Though I wouldn't mind if you did..."

"Hah!" Tora laughed, "You want to kill my friends and you expect me to be your girlfriend!?"

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice..." Wildfire said, "I'm sure you'll grow to like me. Just remember that I'm the one in charge around here." He took a step toward her.

"Back off!" Tora snapped at him with her teeth.

Wildfire stepped back. "I'll give you a little time to cool off... Just relax, I won't hurt you."

"Yeah," Tora rolled her eyes, "because you meant that before."

"I just had to get you out of there." He said, "I only want to hurt your friends." He put a paw under her chin and looked right into her eyes, "I'll be back later..." He turned around and disappeared into the trees.

"Well," Tora said, "This sucks..."

* * *

"We've looked everywhere!" Mheetu exclaimed as he and the other cubs arrived at the water hole. "She's nowhere in the Pridelands!"

"Odd..." Simba said, "Where could she have gotten to... maybe we should look around in other places."

"Maybe we should take different locations?" Nala asked.

"Good idea." Simba said, "Chumvi, Tama, and Sora can check the Elephant Graveyard. The hyenas shouldn't bother you. Kulaani, Kora, Kula, and Akili, you guys continue checking the Pridelands. Nala, Haiba, Mheetu and I will check the jungle. he has to be somewhere."

"I hope she's okay..." Mheetu said. "If someone took her, then they got her while she was right next to me..."

"We'll find her." Nala said, putting a paw on her brother's shoulder, "She's tough. She'll be a paw full for anybody."

"Let's hurry and get looking." Mheetu said as he started for the jungle, "I have a bad feeling... Not just for her, but for us. There's danger near."

Simba, Nala, and Haiba just looked at each other. They thought Mheetu was overreacting a little, but they knew they weren't going to get him to calm down.

Kora was also worried. He had lost Tora once and didn't want to again.

"Do we meet back here at the water hole?" Kora asked.

"Yes," Simba answered, "Let's go." He, Nala, and Haiba ran to catch up to Mheetu, and the others started for their search locations. None of them had any idea that a recent and an enemy they had thought to be dead was back...

* * *

**A/N: Well, now they know Tora's missing... Mheetu will be a little heated if he finds out who's responsible. What did you think of that softer side of Wildfire? I thought it was different, but nothing says he'll stay that way...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Mheetu isn't going to be happy... If they can find Wildfire that is...**

**anonymous13: Nala is the one they always go for. That's why I changed it. It mixes things up a little.**

**snheetah: I don't think you'll find Wildfire too cute soon...**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Turn for the Worse**

Tora had to get free. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped in the jungle with Wildfire. The kid was unstable... And a hothead, but she wasn't able to move enough to try and bite through the vines that kept her paws tied together. Wildfire had been gone over an hour. She couldn't imagine what he was doing... Then she saw him walk into sight.

"Hello." Wildfire grinned as he walked over to his captive. He was confident he was going to win her over... Even if he had to make her... Even if he wasn't able to, she wasn't going anywhere.

"You'll be sorry when my friends find out!" Tora yelled at the psychotic cub.

Wildfire just laughed. "Heh... Even if they do find out it was me, I'm not worried." He motioned to the direction he had come from. "I've planted some little... _Surprises _for them. That will give us some time to spend together."

"Not interested." Tora told him. She managed to prop herself up against a tree; it was better than sitting. "Nobody likes an egotistical cub. Especially when he's being a moron and kidnaps them... But I guess that's what happens when you're a psycho. No wonder your parents didn't love you."

Wildfire suddenly lashed out and struck Tora across the face. He scratched and slightly burned her cheek.

"_Nobody _speaks to me like that!" Wildfire spat, "I've suffered enough! You have no idea how I was treated! Now, you have two options... I can be nice and treat you how you want to be treated, or I can keep using these." He held up a paw and showed off his claws.

Tora glanced up at Wildfire's paw and then at his face, "Freak."

Wildfire struck her again, this time on her other cheek. She wasn't going to let him win, even if it meant she had to endure a little pain. If she could just get free, she would be able to get out of there.

"Have anything else to say?" Wildfire glared at her. He was already at his boiling point, and it was only going to take one more thing to push him over.

Tora didn't break her stare. "Screw you."

That was it. Wildfire saw a good sized rock nearby; he walked over and picked it up. He looked back at Tora.

"Ever wonder what you would look like with a black eye?"

* * *

"Well..." Chumvi said as he, Tama, and Sora walked through the Elephant Graveyard, "I think it's safe to assume she isn't anywhere in here... It stinks."

"Yeah." Sora said, "Besides, the hyenas couldn't be involved. They've been staying out of trouble since the war with the Outlanders. I don't think that they would want to lose what they have now."

"How right you are..." a voice said from up above the three cubs.

They looked up and saw a trio of hyenas sitting on a ledge above them. It was Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed.

"Hyenas!" Tama yelled.

"Aw, relax!" Shenzi exclaimed, "We aren't gonna hurt you."

"Yeah." Banzai added, "Who ya lookin' for?"

"You haven't happened to see a cub anywhere have you?" Sora asked.

"We haven't." Banzai answered, reffering to him and Shenzi, "I think Ed said somethin' last night about seeing a couple cubs. What was it you saw Ed?"

Ed began laughing and making random motions with his forepaws. Only Banzai appeared to know what he was trying to say."

"He says he saw a cub carrying another in the middle of the night," Banzai said, "and when the one woke up, the other whacked them in the head to knock 'em out."

"Do you know which way they were headed?" Chumvi asked.

Banzai looked back to Ed, who was pointing off to the left.

"The jungle." Banzai said, "They were heading for the jungle."

"Hm..." Chumvi said as he thought about the information. "Thanks. We'll check it out." He looked at Tama and Sora, "It looks like Simba, Nala, Haiba, and Mheetu might need a little help.

"Don't mention it." Banzai said as the cubs started walking away. The trio watched until the cubs were gone.

"This bein' nice thing is weird." Banzai said, "I'm not used to it."

"Get over it, dummy." Shenzi said, "If we screw up, the king will have our heads. It'll be best for the clan if we stay out of trouble."

"I suppose..." Banzai said, "But it still sucks..."

* * *

Simba, Nala, Haiba, and Mheetu finally reached the jungle. They weren't even sure that Tora was there, but they had to look. There wasn't any way she could have just vanished. Mheetu had been adamant the whole time that she was in serious danger.

"We'll check all the spots we know of in the jungle first..." Simba said. The jungle was huge, so she could be anywhere.

They stepped into the thick plant life of the jungle, but it didn't take long for them to come across something suspicious... There were small scorch marks all over the ground.

"That's weird." Haiba said, "Why would the ground be burnt?"

"I don't know." Simba said.

Nala looked around at the scorch marks. "Hey, those burn marks look like-"

"Paw prints." Haiba finished for her, "That must mean tha-Ahhh!" Haiba suddenly fell into a pitfall, but managed to catch a tree root that was sticking out of the dirt.

"Haiba!" Simba yelled as he, Nala, and Mheetu ran over to the hole.

"Wow..." Haiba said, "This is the deepest hole I've ever seen... Hey, why is it so warm down here? And what's that orange stuff?"

Simba, Nala, and Mheetu looked over the edge.

"Uh, oh..." Mheetu said. "That's not good."

"Oh..." Haiba said, "Now I see what it is..."

Simba continued looking down as it started to come together in his head. "Wildfire..."

* * *

**A/N: So, it looks like Simba's figured out who it is... Though they might want to pull Haiba up before he gets melted, then he'll really be hot. And it looks like Wildfire's nice guy side is done. Well, you can't say that Tora doesn't have guts...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Tora isn't in a very good situation, is she? Let's not forget Haiba, he's dangling for his life...**

**snheetah: She is handling it well, but that doesn't mean that she can keep taking it...**

**anonymous13: No it doesn't extend to Scar. Anyone who was controlled by Kivuli was killed, or in Scar's case stayed dead.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Broken**

"As fascinating as a pit of lava is," Haiba said, "I'd really apprieciate it if you would pull me out."

"Oh, right." Simba said as he stretched a paw down. He was just able to reach him, but when Haiba let go of the root, his weight almost pulled Simba over the edge. Nala grabbed Simba's tail and prevented the two from taking a lava bath.

"Mheetu!" Nala yelled, "Help me pull them up!"

Mheetu walked over and helped Nala hoist Simba and Haiba up.

"Whew..." Simba said, "That was close."

"You're telling me." Haiba said, "I don't want to die before kissing one of you."

"Then you'll be immortal." Nala told him, "Now, why would that be there? I've never seen a lava pit before."

"You're right." Simba said, "This was set as a trap. There's only one cub we know that could have set this up."

"You mean Wildfire?" Nala asked, "We snapped his legs, there's no way he could have survived those injuries, and even if he did, he wouldn't be able to walk, especially not already... There would have to be some sort of magical intervention."

"Well, it's obvious to me that it's him..." Simba said, "And something tells me he has something to do with Tora's disappearance..."

"If he's done _anything _to her..." Mheetu said.

"We aren't even sure it's him." Haiba said, "There could be someone else that can set up pits of lava... Like that volcano I dated once."

"There is nobody else that can." Simba said, "He must be alive. He probably set these in case we decided to show up."

"He could be anywhere in the jungle." Mheetu said, "It's huge!"

"We'll find him." Simba said, "And most likely Tora as well... Watch out for any more traps. I'm sure this isn't the only one."

* * *

"Now," Wildfire said to Tora, "Are you ready to stop talking back to me?"

Tora wasn't giving in. She had strong will, nothing was going to make her back down from him. Her face was covered with blood from Wildfire hitting her, and she had a black eye from getting hit with a rock.

"You wish." Tora said, "I'm not going to crack... All this violence is useless. You're just succeeding in showing what kind of monster you are. You think that you're higher than everyone else. Guess what? You're not."

Wildfire grabbed her by the throat and pulled her face up to his. "Would you like me to prove that statement wrong?" He really was going to try and be nice to her, but she knew how to step on all of his nerves.

"Go ahead." Tora said, "Kill me... Oh wait, you won't, and I'll tell you why. You can't take it when you can't have power over somebody. Right now, I'm the one in control."

Wildfire growled in anger and threw Tora's head back against the tree, causing her to start bleeding.

"You better watch it." Wildfire told her, "If your friends ever do show up, the only thing that they'll find the pile of ash where you once sat."

"You're all talk." Tora said, "Hate the only emotion you can feel, and the only way to let it out is to abuse others."

"I didn't hate you," Wildfire told her calmly, "but this is what you get for talking back and not listening."

"You really don't know how it works, do you?" Tora asked, "If you actually care about somebody, you don't abuse them. You truly are stupid."

Wildfire once again lashed out at her, but this time he made four long scratches down her stomach. Tora winced at the pain, but refused to cry out. She couldn't show any sign of weakness.

Wildfire had to find a way to break her... She was stronger than he thought.

"Hm..." He said as he stood there in thought. "I know..." He unsheathed his claws and held them out to her. They were all glowing red. "Now you'll be sorry." He sunk the red claws into her shoulder, cutting her and burning her at the same time. He ripped his claws out of her shoulder. He saw some tears in her eyes.

"Not so strong now, are you?" He laughed. "I better leave so I don't kill you. Maybe your attitude will have improved by time I return..."

Wildfire once again left her alone. Tora couldn't take it, now she was in tremendous pain. She felt completely helpless now... Wildfire was starting to break her.

* * *

"...And you're safe." Haiba said as he pulled Mheetu out of another pitfall. That was the third one that they had run into.

"This is gettig out of paw..." Simba said, "We can't keep falling down these things. One of us is going to get burned to a crisp before this is all over."

"Well, we need to keep moving!" Mheetu exclaimed, "Tora is around here somewhere... I know it."

"Hey..." Nala said, "Do you hear that?"

They all stopped talking and listened. It quickly became clear what it was that Nala had heard.

"Yeah," Simba said, "Somebody is crying." It sounded a bit distant, but it couldn't be too far off.

"It's coming from this way." Haiba pointed with a claw, "Whoever it is sounds like they're in pain... Which reminds me of that date I had with that girl that loved wresting... Have you ever been body slammed from someone jumping from a tree?"

"We don't have time for one of your stories." Simba said, "Let's go see who it is. They probably need help."

* * *

The crying had become more clear as the four cubs got closer. They weren't sure who or what they would find.

"It's just on the other side of these trees." Simba said. The four stepped through and were shocked at what they saw.

They had found Tora. Her paws were tied together and she looked like she had been badly beaten. She was covered in blood and her eye blackened.

"Tora!" Mheetu yelled as he ran over to her. "Who did this!?"

"W-Wildfire..." She sobbed.

"Where'd he go?" Simba asked as he, Nala, and Haiba walked over.

"He-"

"I'm back, Tora!" Wildfire shouted from inside the jungle.

"Hide!" Tora told her friends. "I'll distract him while you come up with a plan. I'll be fine."

Simba, Nala, Haiba, and Mheetu all dove into the cover of some bushes just as Wildfire walked into view.

"So..." Wildfire grinned evilly, "Feeling better?"

* * *

**A/N: Okay... They found her. Now, just one more question... Can they defeat him? Find out tomorrow!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Wildfire was pretty bad in that last chapter... I see some of you think he's creepy, well, you're right.**

**snheetah: You should feel bad for Tora... She's being tortured. Wildfire clearly has issues with being in a relationship.**

**yeti1995: It shouldn't take much to distract him... Since he doesn't even know they're there.**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Boiling Tempers**

"You didn't answer me." Wildfire said as he waked toward Tora, "Are you feeling better?"

Tora still didn't answer. Wildfire noticed that she had been crying... It looked like he had finally broke her. He won.

Wildfire walked right up in front of her and put a paw on Tora's head. He didn't hurt her, he simply stroked the top of her head.

"Are you finished crying now?" He ask in a sympathetic voice, but it was obvious he was everything except sympathetic. "See? You're fine as long as you don't talk back. Maybe we can start to get along now..."

"Yeah..." Tora finally spoke.

"You're still upset." Wildfire said, "I know what will cheer you up..." Wildfire suddenly pulled her into a kiss. It was only a matter of seconds before he found himself rolling across the ground and pinned under another cub.

"What the hell!?" Wildfire yelled. He found himself looking up into Mheetu's furious green eyes, but Wildfire didn't really feel all that threatened by the cub.

"So," Wildfire said, "You and your pathetic friends managed to find us? Heh... You just brought about your own death..." Wildfire kicked Mheetu in the stomach, sending him flying back towards Tora, who had been freed from the vines that tied her paws together by Simba, Nala, and Haiba.

"You aren't taking her anywhere!" Wildfire shouted as he charged at them, both of his paws glow orange. He was ready to burn the flesh off of anyone who tried to stop him. He leapt directly at Simba.

"Woah!" Simba dove out of the way just before Wildfire grabbed him with his outstretched paws. When he missed, Wildfire's paws grabbed the tree behind Simba, nearly burning through the entire thing.

"That's right!" Wildfire yelled, "All you can do is run! You won't be breaking my legs this time!"

"How are we going to beat him?" Nala asked, "Our first method didn't work, and we still can't scratch him."

"I can kiss him." Haiba said, "I think he secretly liked it the first time."

"I think it will take more than kissing." Simba said. "Maybe-Ugh!" Wildfire slammed into Simba, the two rolled until Wildfire came out on top. He placed a paw on Simba's chest... It immediately started burning him. Wildfire was knocked off Simba by Mheetu barreling into him. The burn on Simba's chest had to have been at least a third-degree burn.

"I've had it with all of you!" Wildfire exclaimed as he struck Mheetu across the face, making him fall to the ground. Wildfire stood up and ran at Tora. He pinned her up against a tree by digging his claws into her chest.

"Now..." Wildfire said, "You can all leave now, safe and sound, and leave her with me... Or she dies, make your choice..."

* * *

"Odd..." Chumvi said as he, Tama, and Sora looked over the edge of the pit in the jungle. "Why would this pit be filled with lava?"

They backed away from the edge and Tama noticed something. "Hey, look at these paw prints."

"They're burnt into the ground." Sora said, "Wait a minute..."

"What is it?" Chumvi asked.

Sora knew that there was only one animal they knew that could have done this, "We have to hurry. The others might be in danger."

"Why?" Tama asked, "It's just some burnt spots..."

"No." Sora said, "Those are paw prints. They had to have been made by Wildfire."

"Who's that?" Chumvi asked, "That sound's like a dumb name."

"I'll explain later." Sora told him, "We just need to follow those tracks. Just watch out for those holes."

The three cubs took off into the direction that the tracks led. They had to hurry, they didn't know how much trouble that the others were really in.

* * *

"So..." Wildfire said, "What will it be?"

The four cubs looked up at Tora. They didn't want to do anything without knowing what she wanted them to do. They saw her mouth two words to them.

_Get him._

Just as they all jumped at Wildfire, he instantly scratched Tora with all of his strength, from her chest all the way down her stomach. Blood was pouring from the gashes. Mheetu stopped as Simba, Nala, and Haiba tackled Wildfire. He had to check on Tora. The cuts were deeper than he thought, and she was losing a lot of blood.

"I need to get her out of here!" Mheetu yelled to his friends. "She needs help now!"

Simba kicked Wildfire over his head and into a tree before answering Mheetu. "Take her that way." He pointed, "Kulaani's pride isn't far. We'll meet you when we're done."

"You won't be meeting anyone!" Wildfire yelled as he climed back to his paws. As he leapt through the air at Simba, he was suddenly hit with some sort of blast and sent crashing into a boulder.

"Go!" Simba yelled at Mheetu. Mheetu didn't waste another second and started running, carrying Tora on his back.

"Hah!" Chumvi said as he walked into the clearing with Sora and Tama. "Bulls-eye!"

"Ow..." Wildfire said as he slowly stood up again, "You'll pay for that..."

"I don't think so." Chumvi said as he hit Wildfire with another blast of magic. He kept hitting Wildfire until he was sure he wasn't getting back up.

"Is he dead?" Nala asked as they all walked over to Wildfire's motionless body.

Simba put an ear down to Wildfire's chest. He couldn't hear any breathing. "I think so... Hit him one more time to make sure."

Chumvi blasted Wildfire once more to make sure he was gone. They waited a few minutes to see if he was going to move. He didn't.

"Let's go find Mheetu." Simba said, "We needto see if Tora is okay. Wildfire gave her a pretty bad wound."

As the cubs walked away, they failed to look at Wildfire again... Maybe if they had, they would have saw the shallow breathing coming from the cub... That last magical blast might not have worked in the way they had hoped.

* * *

"Is she going to live?" Mheetu asked as one of the pride elders worked on Tora inside the den. They had put some medicine made from plants on the wounds and wrapped them in leaves. Tora had passed out by this point. She had already been in a lot of pain before Wildfire slashed her, and the blood loss didn't help either.

"I think so, but I can't guarantee anything." The old lioness said, "She had some internal damage, but it wasn't too serious. All the blood made it look worse than it is, but like I said, she is far from out of danger. She still lost quite a bit of blood. Now, I've done what I can. Just let her rest." The lioness walked out of the den, leaving Mheetu with Tora. The lioness walked by Simba and the others on the way out.

"How is she?" Simba asked as he and the other cubs walked in.

"Fine, so far." Mheetu said. "They're not completely sure she'll live though."

"Why don't you and Sora stay here with her." Nala suggested, "We'll go back and let Kora and the others know."

"Right." Mheetu said. "Oh, I assume you took care of Wildfire?"

"Yep. Don't worry about him. Come back when you can." Simba told them before they left the three cubs alone.

"Tora..." Mheetu said, looking down at her.

"Huh...?" Tora moaned as her eyes opened. "What... Happened?"

"Wildfire nearly killed you." Mheetu said.

"Oh..." She said as she was starting to fade again. "Where... is he...?"

"Dead." Mheetu told her.

"Take... Me home." Tora told them.

"I'm not sure if I can move you right now." Mheetu said.

She reached up and pulled Mheetu down towards her. "Take. Me. Home. Now." She passed out once again. It was clear she wasn't in any mood to listen to anybody.

"So..." Mheetu said, gently lifting Tora on to his back, "Let's take her home."

As they walked out of the den, they saw the sun was still up. They figured that they would make it back by the time they got back to the Pridelands.

* * *

Wildfire's eyes snapped open. He sat up and saw it was now the middle of the night. He thought he was dead... No, he _had _been dead, but he had been hit with one more magical blast... That was it. It had brought him back to life. Wildfire stood and let out a yell of anger, but something odd happened. Flames shot out of his mouth and his paws ignited.

"What?" Wildfire said as he realized what had happened. Then he smiled evilly. "Oh, things just got better." His powers had been greatly improved. Despite this, he knew it would take more to defeat Simba and his friends.

"I need help..." Wildfire said. He didn't know where to get it, but he needed someone that possessed power similar to his. "Time to search for a little helper..." For the time being, he was going to leave the jungle, at least until he could find someone powerful enough to help.

"Next time," Wildfire said, "_Everything will burn!"_

* * *

**A/N: Oh, they shouldn't have hit him that last time... Look what happened, he's alive and his powers are better than ever. The next story should be fun. See you for _Battle in the Badlands!_**


End file.
